Transmission shift mechanism



July 15, 1941. I J. RAWLEY ETAL 2,249,173. I

TRANSMISSION SHIFT MECHANISM Filed March 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet July 15, 1941. J. RAWLEY ETAL.

TRANSMISSION SHIFT MECHANISM Fil ed March 2 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventors Qua/e &

(Ittomegs Patented July 15, 1941 rice TRANSMISSION SHIFT-MEGHA-NISM;

Joseph Rawley' and'Donald" P. Croisant,v Flint, V Micht, assignors to General-Motors Corporation; Detroit; Mich a corporationof Delaware Application. MaIcIie ZS, 1940, Serial No. 326 306 '3'Claims; (Cl. 74-484) This invention. relates to change speed mechanismfor vehicles and more particularly to.- an improvement in theremotely locatedactuating means. by which thedriving ratio provided-by saidinechanism is. changed.

A'nobject .of the invention .is toutilize. thefixed steering mast of the vehicle to house members, the movements of which transmit the movements of a. hand lever adjacentthe steering wheel to the selecting and shifting members adjacent the transmission housing.

Other objects including an improved appearance, efiiciency, simplicity and economy will be understood from the description which follows:

On the drawings:

Figure 1 shows in perspective the invention applied to a vehicle chassis.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the steering mast.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on line B6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical section adjacent the lower end of a steering mast, as seen on line of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a section corresponding to Figure 2 but showing the modified form.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, numeral represents the vehicle frame, l3 the engine, |5 the clutch housing and H the transmission or change speed housing. A shaft l9 extends from within housing I! and has an external lever 2| secured thereto. Rocking of this lever in one or the other direction of rotation makes shifts from neutral into low or reverse or from neutral into second or high speed, dependent upon the position of selector mechanism, the latter actuated by rotation of a lever 23. Spring 2| is arranged to assist the rotation of lever 2| as the lever moves from its neutral position to either of its active positions. Levers 2| and 23 are connected by links 25 and 21, respectively, to lever arms adjacent the lower end of the steering mast as will be hereinafter described.

At 29 is shown the fixed tubular steering mast having as its purpose to house the rotating steering post or shaft 3|. The end steering Wheel 33 is mounted on the end of shaft 3|. To the top of mast 29 is secured an upper enlarged extension 35 and into the upper end of member 35 is inserted another extension member 31, the parts beingsecured together byfastening means .39..' A shell 4| surrounds shaft. 3| concentricallywithin thesteering mast andspaced from the. steerir-ig. shaft. The upperend of shell. 4|. is surrounded V by and firmly secured'withina cylindrical. mem-e ber'43- This member is, provided withlaradial tubular extension 45.1 Within the-extension. id-is. arelatively short extension portion marked #1,. shaped. to. guideLfor. vertical. reciprocation :the ei11-.

larged head 49 of a rod 5|. carried by member 31 to accommodate the rotation of shell 4| and member 43.

A cap 55 is threaded to the end of extension 65. It serves to pivotally support in the end of extension 45 a lever 51 having a spherical bearing 59. This lever extends into an opening 6| in the head 49 of rod 5|. An antirattling connection is' provided by a cap 63 and a spring 65. It will be seen that vertical movements imparted to knob 51 on lever 5'! reciprocate rod 5|, which rod lies within the steering mast and in the annular space between the mast and the shell 4|. The shell is rotated by a substantially horizontal rotation of lever 51.

The mast 29 does not extend to the housing 61 within which the gear elements are located for the purpose of steering. An intermediate 7 member 69 which may be integral with the gear box or attached thereto, connects the gear box 61 to the lower end of the mast 29. This connection is made by a cylindrical member 7| secured around the lower end of the mast and having a flange l3 resting on the top of member 69. The flange T3 is secured to the top of the intermediate member and to a reinforcing 2' plate 11 by fastening means 19 and the flange l3 and the reinforcing plate 11 extend laterally'beyond the member 69 as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

and support a hanger at 8| which pivotally supports the intermediate part of a lever 83. Lever 83 has an inner arm 85 pivotally connected to the end of rod 5| and an outer arm 8'! adapted to be connected to link 27. It will be seen that the intermediate member 69 has one side removed for the passage of the lever. Through this passage there also projects a lever 89 secured adjacent the end of the shell 4| by suitable fastening means 9|. Lever 89 at its extremity is connected to link 25. A bearing 93 is provided in part 69 for the rotatable support of shell 4|. A

suitable spring is attached to the end of lever I arm 8! whereby the rod 5| is normally held in that position for gear selection corresponding to high speed and second speed. When the knob 51 of lever 51 is lifted against the resistance of this the intermediate spring, lever 23 actuated by link 21 selects the mechanism within the gear box I! for subsequent shifting between low gear and reverse gear upon the rotation of the shell 4 I.

For convenience the term steering column is used to include the mast 29 together with the extensions 35 and 31 and the so-called intermediate member 69.

By the arrangements described, it will be seen that there are openings in the steering mast through which project the manually operable lever and levers 83 and 89. The vertical reciprocating rod 5| and the shell M are both within the fixed steering mast. There: is thus avoided an external location of the operating parts. Also there is no occasion for enlarging the steering mast since the assembly described permits the use of the mast of conventional size.

We claim:

1. In remote control mechanism for a vehicle change speed transmission, a steering column, a steering shaft therein, a rotatable shell within said column, a reciprocable rod also within said column, a manually operable lever projecting into said column adjacent its upper end, said lever adapted to reciprocate said rod and to rotate said shell, lever arms extending into said column at the lower ends of said shell and rod and link means connected to said last named lever arms whereby selection and gear shifting are effected.

2. In remote control mechanism for a vehicle change speed transmission, a steering column, a steering shaft therein, a rotatable shell within said column, a reciprocable rod within said column, said shell surrounding said steering shaft and being concentric therewith, a manually operable lever projecting into said column adjacent its upper end, said lever adapted to reciprocate said rod and to rotate said shell, lever arms extending into said column at the lower ends of said shell and rod and link means connected to said last named lever arms whereby selection and gear shifting are efiected.

3. In remote control transmission for a vehicle change speed transmission, a steering column, a steering shaft therein, a rotatable shell within said column, a reciprocable rod within said column, said rod being in the annular space between said shell and column, a manually operable lever projecting into said column adjacent its upper end, said lever adapted to reciprocate said rod and to rotate said shell, lever arms extending into said column at the lower ends of said shell and rod and link means connected to said last named lever arms whereby selection and gear shifting are effected.

JOSEPH RAWLEY. DONALD P. CROISANT. 

